Joker trailer: Joaquin Phoenix is terrifying in Batman villain orgin story

'My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face'

The first trailer for the Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker has been released.

“My mother always tells me to smile and put on a happy face,” the sadistic Batman villain says over the new footage.

Zazie Beetz, Brian Tyree Henry and Brett Cullen all appear in the trailer, as does Robert De Niro, who plays a talk show host.

The DC film is set in a 1980s version of Gotham City and promises to be an “exploration of a man disregarded by society [that] is not only a gritty character study, but also a broader cautionary tale”.

Phoenix’s character – who remains unconnected from Jared Leto’s version of the character in Suicide Squad – starts as a struggling comedian, much like Rupert Pupkin (played by De Niro) in Martin Scorsese film The King of Comedy.

Todd Phillips (The Hangover trilogy, War Dogs) has directed Joker, with Phillips, Bradley Cooper and Emma Tillinger Koskoff acting as producers.

Joker reaches cinemas 4 October.